The Long Awaited:

Dame and Knight Video...

Q&A With Lu Flux

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• WHERE DO YOU COME FROM?

Originally I am from the Isle of Wight

• WHERE DID YOU STUDY/TRAIN?

I did my degree in Fashion at Edinburgh College of Art.

• WHERE DID YOU GET YOUR INSPIRATION/IDEAS?

This A/W 2010 inspiration for the Dame and Knight collection came from traditional British folklore ceremonies that are still in practise today. These include the Whittlesea Straw Bear, the Queensferry Burry Man and the Garland King. I also looked at armour as I went to the Tower of London to see King Henry VIII’s armour.

• WHAT INSPIRED OR MOTIVATED YOU TO BECOME AN ETHICAL DESIGNER?

When I was making my final collection at Edinburgh I used salvaged and vintage materials. I have always loved and collected vintage fabrics and this was a perfect way to make use of them. It was a natural progression to become ethical because I was 80% of the way there already.

• DESCRIBE THE COLLECTION IN 7 WORDS

Warm, fun, peculiar, nostalgic, comforting, charming and delightful

• WHICH PIECE IS YOUR FAVOURITE?

I want to get married in a vintage white lace version of the Damsel in Distress.

• ARE THERE ANY PEOPLE/DESIGNERS THAT INSPIRE YOU OFTEN?

So many! I also get very inspired by strangers. When you go out you don’t know who or what you are going to see and if you are in a certain place even 5 minutes later you see completely different people that’s one of my favourite things about living in London.

• WHICH PIECE (IF ANY) WOULD YOU SAY PORTRAYS YOUR PERSONALITY BEST?

Well I would wear it all.

• WHICH PIECE WAS MOST ‘TRYING’ FOR YOU AS A DESIGNER?

Technically both of the Kaboom pieces were incredibly trying. They were made up of so many pieces and the patchwork was so so precise but it was triumphant to see them finished.

• WHAT ARE YOUR STRENGTHS?

I am fastidious and I work hard.

• WHAT ARE YOUR WEAKNESSES?

I am not very good at taking criticism.

• DO YOU HAVE A TECHNICAL OR CONCEPTUAL APPROACH TO DESIGNING?

I can be quite muddled when it comes to designing and different things can set me off from patchworking to a certain fabric that I might see or a vintage photograph but I would say more conceptual than technical.

Filming

they model

Neil films

Burt interrupts

Lu lurks

we eat

leaves fall

Alun arranges

and that's that.

Shoesies

Designed by Lu Flux, Made by Green Shoes.

Sunset Time

The Sun

New Music -

Today I was introduced to this by Lu (yes, she has very good taste in myuzik.)

The Drums – Summertime EP

Enjoy.

I cut these...

to be sewn as a patchwork skirt.

Having done a project of my own that involved doing LOTS of repetitive work, I understand how gratifying it is to work in this way.

It gives you a certain sense of accomplishment and confidence in knowing that you didn't just do what you know is easiest and what everyone else wants you to do. This is something I know is important to Lu having heard her complaining about how London is becoming so boring when it comes to fashion. Too many designers are playing it safe and doing things to please the masses.

Today, as well as cutting, I also had to photograph every garment from the A/W 2010 collection for the production record. This meant front, back and every little construction detail. Being the meticulous character that I am this took me a good few hours.

Spending so much time photographing every little detail of every garment showed me exactly how well made each piece is. Just by studying the garments in this way I felt that I learnt a lot about construction. Anyhooooo...

Dog Burt

Lu's dog, Burt!

Mid Week

I've been cutting fabric madly all week. I cut the pieces for the garments and then they get assembled by someone else.

Coming from a textiles background means that I havent had all that much experience with cutting. As tiring and repetitive as it is I do quite enjoy it. The only thing I wonder is whether or not my attention to detail is slowing me down. : / I like to do things right, ESPECIALLY when they're for someone else's work.

Anyway, here are a few of the garments that I've been cutting for...

These are the originals; I've been cutting for the samples which then get sent to Japan ( :D ) and are "showcased" if you like to retailers who then say whether or not they want to sell them.

Armour Skirt

T-Shirt Dress

Placement

The first placement I've done since GCSE's!

I started at Lu Flux on Monday.

Her studio (she shares it with the art director Alun Davies.)

The view at the end of the day.

More to come.